Nico-nico Arrow Straight to your Heart
by Bravo Tango
Summary: (AU) Nico and Umi found something in common to talk about. As they meet each other more and more, something grew between them.


**Hello to all who's joining in for a read. Now this is a little special piece that I will be doing. You see, I like exercise and food; so in this AU, Nico has some knowledge of nutrition and what the body needs and Umi's mom is a fitness trainer.**

 **Big note: I'll be projecting some of my knowledge since I'm going for a Kinesiology major. Some of the things I write are my philosophy on diet and exercise. Now let me be clear, what I write is not set in stone. Over time, my stance on some things can change. Also, I'll be mixing some cultures and practices, so let's see how well that goes.  
**

 **Now, there is a particular episode in season 2 of the anime that I just... I'll go more in detail at the end. I hope you enjoy this piece.**

"Talk" — Speech

 _'Blah'_ — Thoughts

[ _Blah_ ] —Text

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Love Live! School Idol Project.**

* * *

At the end of practice, Honoka asked a particular question, "Hey Umi, would eating less food and running more distance going to help lose weight?"

Umi turned to Honoka and opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted.

"Hah!?"

Both girls turned to see Nico walking up to them. Nico pointed at Honoka, "What are you on about Honks? Eating less is not going to help you lose that extra weight. You need to eat better to have more energy. But it's not just simple and junk food, you need to eat smart and have a balanced diet. In fact all of us gotta eat smart."

Umi joined in, "And just running isn't going help you lose weight like that Honoka. You have to remember that any activity takes energy. Like Nico said, you have to eat food to get energy. If you cut back on eating, you'll have less energy to work out. If you force yourself, it can damage your body."

Honoka slowly backed away, terrified of being double-teaming from these two. "Uh, well thanks for the info, and uh... Oh hey, I think Kotori is calling me soIgottagobye." Honoka bolted to the door, leaving Nico and Umi alone on the roof.

Nico shook her head, "Honestly, that girl." She turned to Umi, "Hey Umi, what did she eat for lunch?"

Surprised, Umi took a moment to answer her. "Well, she ate one melon bread."

Nico stares at Umi, "...You're not serious."

"Unfortunately, no."

Nico placed her hand on her hand. "Haaaa." Nico look at Umi again. "What about you?"

"My lunch is rice with meat and eggs on the side."

"That's it? Well, at least it's better than Honks. I'll tell you what, don't bring lunch tomorrow."

"Eh?"

"I'll give you a Nico-nico special."

"Eh!?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Next Day_

Umi was a little jittery as the clocked ticked closer to lunchtime; she doesn't know what Nico would put in her lunch. _RING!_ Some of the students rise out of the seats to buy lunch while others grabbed their lunch from their bags. Kotori notices Umi is still sitting at her desk. "Umi-chan? Not going to eat lunch?"

Umi starts to get nervous, "Uh..."

"Hey Umi, got your lunch."

Umi, Kotori, Honoka, and a few students look at the door to see Nico holding two bento boxes and a thermos.

Nico tilt her head to the side. "Let's go somewhere."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Club room_

"Alright, take a bite and tell me what you think."

Umi took one of the bento and slowly picked up the lid. Part of the bento contained small tomatoes and broccoli. There are eggs and chicken teriyaki on the side. To finish it off there are brown rice with black sesame seeds sprinkled on top. But the seeds were arranged as a shape of an arrow. Umi looked at Nico with a _really?_ expression.

Nico smirked, "What? It's called a special for a reason. Come on, eat."

Umi sighed and picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. Chewing slowly, she savored the taste. "Hmm, this is actually delicious."

Nico was already eating of her own bento. "Of course it is; I am Number 1 after all."

Umi sighed, _'Of course she would say that.'_ Both of them continued eating the meal. "So how do you know how to do all of this? You seem very knowledgeable on nutrition."

Nico hummed, "Well, I have three siblings and my mom is gone for work most of the time. My siblings can't cook and I seriously doubt that my mom has the time do it. And so I took up the job of caring for the family. At first, I only knew that some foods are better than others. But as time goes on, I was curious as to why some foods are healthier than others. Then I took time to research and found out many things. Like there are complex and simple carbs. I also learned that it's the best to have a balanced diet and be active. It was part of the reason why I wanted to chew Honk's head off. I mean, I don't have a rigid diet; I let myself to eat sweets or barbecue from time to time."

Collecting the empty bento boxes, she closed the lid and placed them in the bag. Nico took out her thermos and poured green tea for the both them. They took a sip and sighed. "Now cooking something that was delicious and healthy? That took a lot of trial and error. The thing with kids is that they are really picky on what they eat. Most of the time they wouldn't understand why it's healthy. Another thing you have to be careful for is that they will imitate you. If they see you show disgust for a specific food, they will hate it without even trying it. And so I always smile when I eat with them and I would sneak some veggies in their lunches. Probably when they get older I can explain why I do this."

Umi was shocked at how knowledgeable Nico was concerning nutrition. But she was curious about one thing. "How did you find the time to research?"

Nico's eyes turned melancholic. "Ah, well, this was back during my freshman and sophomore years. You get a lot of free time when you're the only member of the club. But I didn't have enough free time since you guys barged in."

"Ah, sorry about that."

"It's not a big deal. And besides, I'm glad that you guys did otherwise we wouldn't be here. What about you? How did you get so fit?"

Umi was glad for the topic change and responded. "My dad owns a dojo and my mom is a fitness trainer. My mom actually taught me nutrition and exercise. But I didn't really pat too much attention on my diet. I guess I stayed fit was because I exercised and be active. But after today, I'll reconsider on what I eat."

"Nice, I was able to change the unyielding Umi Sonoda."

Before Umi could retort, Nico looked at the clock. "Oh wow, time flies fast. Here." Nico pulled a piece of paper and bag and gave them to Umi. "Today was really fun talking to you. Want to meet up again?"

Umi took a moment to consider the idea. It was great talking to Nico about a subject she was familiar with. It wouldn't hurt to meet up again. "Sure."

"Take a look at that and try to make some lunch for tomorrow. See ya at practice." Nico left.

Umi looked at the paper in her hands. It seems to be a detailed list of all the ingredients and what nutrients and vitamins they provide. Umi started to walk back to her class. _'Some of these are in my fridge.'_ Reaching her hand into the bag, she popped a pistachio into her mouth. She has some idea on what to make for lunch.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Friday,  
Club room_

It has become a routine for them: When lunch starts, Nico would come to Umi's classroom to pick her up and they go to the club room. They would discuss anything related to diet and exercise. It wasn't until today that Nico had a plan.

"If there was one thing that I wished I had back would be more free time." Nico complained.

"What do you mean?" Umi asked.

"I want to learn more about nutrition."

"What about idols?"

"Idols are important, but taking care of my health and well-being is just as important. Anyway, I want to do something for the group, but I want learn as much as possible. I also want your help, 'cause I'm not that great in the physical department."

Umi felt giddy, but she fought to control it. "I'm glad that you want my help." An idea hit her. "Why won't you come over to my house tomorrow?"

"Really? You sure?"

"Yes, even if it was last minute, I'm sure my parents would be okay with it."

"Can my sisters and brother come as well? My mom would be at work for most of the weekend."

Umi hesitated, "Ah, I'll call you after I asked them about that."

"Alright, cool, I'll tell my mom and wait for your call. Anyway, lunch is about to end, so see you at practice."

"See you there."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Umi's house_

"Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

"Would it be possible for my friend and her siblings to come over tomorrow?"

"Oh? Why so late and what for?"

Umi started to fidget, "Well it was last-minute plan and we wanted to learn more about fitness and nutrition from you."

Yori Sonoda's eye gleamed. "Well I would love to help out; it's always nice to see young kids want to learn about fitness and nutrition." Turning to her husband, "Honey, can you take care of the kids while I'm with Umi and her friend."

The man just grunted, still looking at the newspaper.

Umi sighed in relief and took out her phone.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _The next day_

"Hey Umi, nice house you got here."

"Thank you. And these must be your siblings."

"Yea." Nico turned behind her. "C'mon, introduce yourself."

"Hello, I am Cocoro." She dipped her head.

"And I'm Cocoa."

"Cotarou."

"Well, come on in." After they got inside, Umi turned to Nico. "Nico, would it be alright for my father to take care of your siblings? That way, we can focus on what my mother has to teach." They reached into the living room where her father was waiting for them.

Nico patted their heads, "Alright you rascals, be sure to mind your manners."

"See you later onee-chan."

Both Umi and Nico walked into a spacious room. It seems to be filled with gym and archery equipment. There was also another woman exercising with dumbbells. Nico took a moment to observe her. _'Wow, she seems like a more mature version of Umi.'_ She seems to be a little taller than Umi and her hair tied in a ponytail. She finished her work out and put away the dumbbells. She turned and saw them at the door. "Oh, so sorry about that, I was just finishing my set."

"It's no problem mom; we just got here."

"Ah, this must be your friend you were talking about."

Nico bowed her head, "It is nice to meet you Mrs. Sonoda, I am Nico Yazawa."

"No need to be so formal, just call me Yori."

"Ah, alright Mrs— Yori."

Yori smiled. "That's better. So I heard from my Umi that you wanted to learn about nutrition."

"Ah, well, there only so much you can learn from online."

"Still, you did learn a lot. Say, how did you change Umi's mind?"

Nico was confused, "What do you mean?"

Yori glanced at Umi, and then whispered loudly. "Umi tried to cook her own lunch."

"Mom!" Umi blushed.

Yori laughed, "You should've seen how hard she was trying."

Umi averted her head, blushing harder.

Nico chuckled, scratching the back of her head. "I guess it was my cooking?"

Yori put her hand in her chin. "Hmm, I do admit that I'm not the best cook." She snapped her fingers. "How about this, I teach you anything new you didn't learn about nutrition. And you teach me creative and delicious ways to cook." She looked at Umi, "Umi here will help you learn about exercise. After all, it's the best to have a balanced diet and be very active."

Nico smiled, "Deal."

And so, they began their lessons. First, Yori taught Umi and Nico various aspects of fitness. Then Yori taught what she can about nutrition. After several hours they took a break and Nico cooked lunch while coaching Yori and Umi. With all that done, Nico is sore but satisfied at the end of the day. As the sun is setting, Yori ended the lesson and call her husband. "Honey? Can you take them home?"

The man walked in holding all the siblings in his arms. He nodded and made his way to the car. Nico bowed at Yori and said her thanks. Both Nico and Umi followed after the man.

Nico giggled, "Ahahahah, your old man really loved to care of them.

Umi smiled, "Yes, it was nice seeing him like that." They got in the car and Nico gave directions to her home.

Nico turned to look at Umi. "So I was thinking that we ask and look at what the group likes. It would help me get a firmer grip and what to do for their schedule."

"Sure." Umi nodded, with plans and workout plans swirling in her head.

They reached to Nico's apartment. Nico and her siblings got out of the car. "Thanks doing this for me; you really helped me out. Nico beamed at Umi, dazzling her with her smile.

Umi blushed and coughed into her hand. "I-it was nothing."

Nico turned to the man, "Thank you for taking care of my siblings, Mr. Sonoda."

All three siblings came beside her and bowed. "Thank you!"

The man nodded and looked forward. If anyone were to squint, they would see a light blush.

The family walked to their apartment. "Oh," Nico turned back to Umi. "Want to come to my place next week so we can finalize out plan?"

Umi turned to her father for his permission. The man looked back and nodded. Umi looked back and said, "That would be great."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Sunday_

Throughout the week, Umi and Nico observed the group. They would watch and ask what they would usually eat. After that, Umi and Nico asked all of the parents to help out with their plan. With all that done, Umi is going to Nico's place to finalize their plan. Umi knocked on the door, patiently waiting.

The door opened and Nico is still in her pajamas. "Oh Umi, you came a little early."

Umi bowed her head, "I'm sorry about that; my dad had plans so he dropped me off early."

Nico waved her hand, "It's all good, come on in." They walked to the living room where the siblings were watching TV. "Alright kiddes keep her busy while I finish up." Nico continued walking while Umi situated herself on the couch.

After a few minutes of silence, Cotarou turned and pointed at Umi. "Love Arrow."

Umi blinked, "Eh?"

Cocoa chuckled sheepishly, "Eheh, don't mind him, he's just repeating words."

"Well, who did he imitated?"

This time Cocoro answered. "It came from our oldest sister."

"Nico?"

"Yes, that phrase came when she was trying to think of a catchphrase. She talks a lot about you whenever she's home." Cocoro looks at the doorway then back at Umi. "She always glows whenever you're the topic."

Umi blushed, but recovered. "Wha—"

Nico came in, "Sorry I took so long." Nico looked at Umi, "You didn't do anything weird to my family did you?"

Umi coughed, "N-No. Anyway let's begin?"

Nico looked at her for a few seconds, and then dropped the subject. "Alright let's go to my room." Turing to her family, "We'll be in there until lunch, are you guys good for a while?"

They nodded. Umi got up and followed after Nico to her room. Nico opened her door and led Umi in. Pink, that's all Umi sees in the room.

"Wow, that's a lot of...pink." Umi commented.

"It's my favorite color," Nico defended. "But enough of that, let's begin."

 _Several hours later_

Nico looked at the clock. "Wow, time flies so fast."

"Yes, but we were able to finish the schedules." The table is covered with papers. Some papers were a detailed list of complex carbs; what they contain, where they can be bought, and how much they cost. Other papers are workout schedules for practice.

Nico stood up and stretched. "Alright let's go make lunch." Umi nodded and followed her to the kitchen. "Can you keep the kids busy?"

"Sure." Umi walked over to the siblings and asked, "Do you want to play something?"

The siblings looked at each other, then Cocoa said, "Let's practice Nico's catchphrase."

"What?"

"Nico-nico nii."

"Nico-nico nii."

"Nii."

With their hands in the signature pose, the siblings looked at Umi expectantly.

Umi hesitated, "N-Nico-nico n-nii." Her hands trembled as she held the pose.

"No no, you got to do it with more confidence."

"Oh no," Umi whispered. And so she was subjugated for 30 minutes.

"Alright," Nico called out, "Food is ready." Nico walked to the dinner table, subtly pocketing her phone.

They all sat down and clapped their hands, "Thanks for the meal." The main course was grilled chicken with pasta. On the side, there was salad with lettuce, spinach, red onions, diced tomatoes, and sliced carrots. They dug in and ate the delicious meal. After everyone was done, the siblings went to the living room to play board games while Umi and Nico was cleaning the dishes.

"That was a delicious meal, Nico."

"Thanks Umi."

"This may be sudden, but would you become a nutritionist?"

"What? C'mon, I'm going to be the Number One Idol of the world." Nico paused, "But, it would be a nice back-up plan and I do love cooking." Nico snapped her fingers, "Hey, you wanna team up? We could become professionals to give fitness and nutrition advice to clients." They finished the dishes and racking them to dry.

Umi raised her eyebrow. "What happen to being an idol?"

Nico turned to stare at Umi, "Don't get me wrong, I'm determined to become an idol so I could make people smile. But I also know the reality of the idol industry." Nico smiled, "Besides, there are many ways make someone smile."

"Alright, if the idol career doesn't work out for you, we can team up."

"Hold on, are you sure? I don't want to limit your career options because of a promise."

Umi shook her head, "It's not like that; working with you and doing this kind of thing, I really enjoyed it. After talking with my mom and dad, I want to go into the Kinesiology field. This is what I want to do."

Nico put her hand out. "Alright, how about this: IF I make it to be an idol, you can become my trainer. If not, we team up and work for clients."

Umi took her hand and shook it, "Deal."

They joined Nico's siblings in the living room. For several hours they played various games; Nico learned that Umi is weak when playing Old Maid. The sun was setting when Umi's dad came to pick her up.

"It was fun playing with you guys."

"Goodbye Umi-neechan."

"See ya later, Umi-neechan."

"Neechan."

Umi blinked several times, surprised that someone called her like that.

Nico chuckled at her reaction. "They really like you to call you like that. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Rooftop practice_

Nico stood beside Umi and waved her hands. "Hey, come over here for a bit."

Once everyone was near, Umi clapped her hands, "Alright, we're going to change things around here."

Honoka raised her hand, "What kind of things?"

Umi continued, "We are going to change on how we practice and exercise. First, we're going to warm up by doing dynamic stretches. Then, we will do our exercises and practice. And lastly, we will finish it off with static stretches. Any questions?"

Kotori raised her hand. "What's the difference between dynamic and static stretching?"

"With dynamic stretching you stretch and warm your muscles at the same time. While static stretching is what we've been doing previously."

Hanayo was next, "What kind of exercises are we going to do?"

"Exercises that will increase our stamina, reaction, and agility. It's easier to show you the exercise rather than explain them."

"Why not just run nya~?" Rin asked.

"Because we're not running across the stage back and forth. Look, running is a good exercise but you're going in one direction. In dancing, we have to go in many directions. We need to have the agility to twist and turn our bodies when we dance. These exercises can also build our stamina, coordination, and reaction time. Anything else?"

Satisfied with her answers, the group was done for now. "Good, now I'll let Nico take over."

Stepping forward, Nico stated, "I'm in charge of nutrition, which means I'll be overlooking on what you eat. You'll need the nutrients, vitamins, and energy to keep up with Umi's training here. Another thing I want is you girls to eat healthier foods and be conscious of what you eat."

"What do you mean?" Honoka asked.

"Before I answer that, can you come over here?" Honoka walked to where Nico pointed. "What's your favorite food and how many times do you eat it?"

"My favorite food is melon bread and I eat it 3 times a day." Honoka answered. Nico looked at Umi and nodded. Umi walked over and pushed a finger into Honoka's stomach... it sunk in half an inch. There was a sound of glass breaking and Honoka on her knees mumbling incoherently.

Nico crouched down and patted her shoulder. "I'm not telling you stop eating them, just eat less of it." Standing up and turning to the group. "I'm not going to make you go into some hardcore diet plan."

"Why not just cut back on eating?" Maki asked.

"What? No, that is not what we're going to do. In fact, it's the opposite; I want you guys to eat more." Seeing their confused faces, Nico elaborated. "We're going to eat more food, but we're going to eat smart." Nico picked a pile of papers and gave it to every member. "This list shows you what you need to know about the food I will include in your plans. I also told your parents about our plans and they agreed to help out. Throughout the week I'll teach you guys about complex carbs, vitamins, and so on."

Nozomi opened her mouth, but Nico interrupted. "I'll cook lunch for you until you know enough about food."

Umi twitched, her lips frowning slightly. She waited until Nico walked to sand beside her, and then whispered, "That wasn't what we planned."

"I know, I totally forgot about Nozomi living by herself. I'm sorry."

"Alright." Addressing the group, "If there are no more questions, we'll begin."

Honoka leaned over to Kotori, "Psst, do your thing."

Kotori clasped her hands, pouting, "Please, Umi."

Umi wavered, her resolve melting at the sight before her. Before she lost, Nico clasped her shoulder. "Hey, we're in this together."

Umi sighed in relief. "Thanks. Sorry, Kotori, but we're going through with this."

As the days go by, Nico and Umi shared their knowledge to the group. Nico knew that she had to be careful with their diets. Nico would make small changes here and there. One diet plan will work one person but not for another; there are too many different factors. The families helped out and took a lot of the weight off of Nico's shoulder. Umi was still irritated that Nozomi gets to eat Nico's delicious lunch. But she was pacified since her and Nico would still meet in the club room.

On Umi's side, she would teach various exercises and how it can benefit them. She shows the group how it is performed and what intensity the group had to invest in. It wasn't until Friday that the group had a surprise for them.

"Hey, have you girls heard of circuit training?" Nico smirked.

 _20 minutes later..._

The group except Nico and Umi were on the ground, gasping for air.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _A month later_

Nico and Umi made sure to keep the group on track. They were stern, but not overbearing where the group might fight back. There some instances where some members regressed and ate more than usual, coughHonokacough. Nico assured them that it's alright to relapse here and there. The important part is that they get back into the program.

It was a tough month for the group, but all of their sweat and tears paid off in the end. They had more energy than usual. During practice, they took less breaks and more coordinated in their dance practice. The most notable change was the slight definition in their muscles.

Umi saw her phone vibrate, signaling that she received a text. It was a message from Nico: [ _Yo Umi, I've come up with a new recipe. Want to try it out?_ ] Shaking her head, she replied: [ _I'd love to try it._ ]

[ _Cool, see ya tmrw._ ]

[ _I'll see you tomorrow._ ]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _School_

Umi stoically watched as the teacher wrote a math formula on the board. If someone were to see Umi's face, they would think she was indifferent. But she is giddy with anticipation. Umi flinched as the bell ring, signaling lunch. She took her bento and waited for Nico to pick her up. Five minutes passed and there was still no sign of Nico. Frowning slightly, she checked her phone and saw a text message from Nico. Umi gasped slightly at the message: [ _This is Cocoro and Nico is sick and can't come to school. We can't stay because our school has 'take your parents to school day.' But I left a spare key for you if you want to check on her._ ]

Umi cursed internally; she accidentally set her phone to silent in the morning. She walked over to Kotori and Honoka with a favor in mind. "Kotori, Honoka, if the teacher asks, can you tell him that I'll be gone."

They were confused by her action. "Why?"

"It's Nico and I need to check on her."

Kotori's eyes widened in realization, and then she smiled. "Sure."

Honoka was still confused but went with it. "We're friends, of course we'll help."

Umi was glad that they were her friends. She grabbed her bag and set off to the front gates. When she reached the door, "By the way Honoka." She held a melon bread. "We agreed a melon bread every two days and I saw you ate one yesterday. Be sure to work extra hard today." She placed the bread into her bag.

"Noooooo."

Umi continued walking down the stairs. She sent a quick text to Eli and Rin to lead practice. Since it's lunch, there shouldn't be many teachers around the front gate.

 _20 minutes later..._

Somehow, she made it out with no one noticing. On her way to Nico's apartment, she called her mom.

"Hello?"

"Hi mom, am I interrupting?"

"No, I just finished a class... Wait, don't you still have class?"

Umi hesitated, "Ah, that's why I'm calling you; I left school early."

"Why?"

"Nico got sick and I want to check up on her."

"What made you this impulsive?"

Umi paused, "I-I don't really know."

Yori hmmed, "Do you know what you're doing?"

"No, but I know the consequences of my choices. I know that but I'm still going make them and I'm prepared to face them."

"Alright, as long as you understand. One last question: Why Nico?"

Umi paused and stopped walking. She began to remember the first time they had lunch together. The times talking to each other. The time they went to each other's houses. She wanted to spend more time with her. Umi now realizes that she wants Nico to be more than as friend.

"Because I want to stand beside her. Because every time I think of her, I feel happy. Because I want to experience life together with her."

Umi can feel her mom smiling. "You finally admitted it huh. I would say congratulations are in order, but you gotta take care of that special someone. You have out support and blessing."

Umi blushed hard. "Mom!" She sighed, "Thank you and I'll see you soon."

"See you soon."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Nico's apartment_

Umi opened the door silently, letting herself in. Closing the door behind her, Umi took off her shoes and padded softly to Nico's room. Entering into her room, Umi placed her bag on the floor. Nico stirred in her bed, "Urggh, what? Umi?"

Umi froze, "Hi..."

"What are you doing here?" Nico looks at the clock, "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Your sister told me you couldn't come and I came to check on you."

Nico looked to the side and saw her phone in a different position. Nico flopped down the bed and groaned, "Damnit, I didn't want you to see me like this."

Umi walked over to the bed and place her hand on Nico's forehead. "Nico, you have a fever. What happened?"

Nico blushed, "Ah, I... I ran to the supermarket to get some ingredients for the new recipe." She averted her eyes. "I may also ran without putting on a jacket. And I got a cramp on my hamstring when I was sleeping."

Umi sighed exasperatedly, "Does it still hurt?"

"A little, it feels like it's locked up."

"Alright, I'm going to roll you over and massage it."

Nico blushed harder, "Wait, Umi you—"

Umi glared at her, forcing Nico to shut up and complied. Umi started to knead the taut muscle, drawing a satisfied moan from Nico. Umi blushed, realizing how suggestive this is, but she can't back out now. After 5 minutes, Nico said, "Okay, I think it's good."

Umi stepped back and said, "Are you alright with me making soup?"

Nico's face was still covered by her pillow. "Sure, just check the fridge for the ingredients." Umi nodded and left to the kitchen. With her gone, Nico showed her face was flushed. ' _This is bad; my crush is here alone with me and making food. This is like those romance manga scenes.'_ She was still amazed that she was able to talk to her crush at all. At first, she couldn't talk to her because of their opposing personalities. She should thank Honoka for unintentionally bringing them together.

Umi came back with a bowl of steamy soup. "I hope it's to your liking; I did the best that I could."

Nico smiled, "I'm sure anything you make will be delicious."

That warmed Umi's heart and made her blush lightly. "Anyway, say 'ah'." Umi slowly fed Nico the soup, taking care not to spill anything.

Nico finished the soup and commented, "See, I told you it was delicious." But her face turned serious, "Okay, this has gone long enough. Why? Why are you doing so much for me? You even skip school to take care of me."

Umi put the bowl down and faced Nico, "Because I want to be with you."

"Wha—"

Umi raised her hand, asking to speak. Nico closed her mouth and waited.

"When we first met, we didn't have a great first impression. From there, we didn't get many chances to talk. But our first lunch together was the beginning of something that led to this moment. Throughout our time together, you helped me find something enjoyable. I felt happy when I started teaching and helping our friends through the workout. I realized that I wanted to stand beside you for as long as possible. I know this is not the best time but I wanted to let you know how I feel."

Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes. "Gosh, you're such a dork for confessing to a sick and injured girl. But I'm also a dork for falling for you as well. You were smart, popular, and strong; that's why I was acting all pissy because I was jealous of you. After getting to know about you, I realized that I was being stupid. I had a little crush of you after out lunch together, but I was afraid. We were the prime examples of polar opposites that I didn't think we would be together. You proved me wrong when you stayed and continued talking to me. You even helped me with my selfish plan. After every meeting I fell for you more and more. So, yes Umi, I would love to stand beside you."

Umi was glowing and filled with happiness after Nico's speech. She was relieved and glad that Nico felt the same way that she does. Then she felt a hand wrapped around her wrist and was pulled. "Eek!" She fell on Nico's bed with a shriek. With her back to Nico, Umi felt Nico's arms wrapped around her waist. Nico whispered, "Will you let me be selfish one more time?"

"How shameless... But if it's you..."

After a few minutes of comfortable silence Nico giggled. "Ohh, Umi, your abs feels so nice."

"Nico!"

* * *

 **Happy Birthday Umi!**

 **Alright it's ranting time:**

 **When I saw that episode of Umi trying to get Honoka and Hanayo to diet, I got soooo mad and frustrated at Umi. I just wanted to reach into the screen and give her a noogie. That's not how you make someone diet. If you try to cut someone's eating habit immediately, there will be problems. Umi, you can't expect someone to lose weight that fast with little food. Not only that, these weights could be from puberty. You're going to gain a pound here and there, no need to go starving yourself. OMG, when I saw that last part, I just wanted to smash that screen. Honoka, you lost weight because you forgot to eat? YOU LOST WEIGHT BECAUSE YOU FORGOT TO EAT!? WHAT THE HELL!? If that was possible I'm sure a lot of people can lose weight. I think that Honoka lost the water weight because there is no way that you lose weight that fast.**

 **Someone might say that the extra weight Honoka gained came from the vacation.**

 **-All Honoka had to do was get back into the training routine. The only reason she gained was because she didn't exercise over the vacation. And if Umi really wanted to her to lose weight, then just make her exercise more and add complex carbs into her diet.**

 **It's just an anime, there's no reason to fuss over it.**

 **-Okay, then why did they make an episode revolving around Honoka's weight gain? Why make it an issue in the first place? Not only that, the episode created the illusion that if you don't eat, then you're going to lose the weight. Which is NOT something you should do. Really, you could've done a little more research for that episode.  
**

 **End Rant**

 **Phew! This piece was intense. After looking back, it seems that I was projecting a little to both Nico and Umi. There were times that I ate pure junk and exercised. I figured that if I worked hard enough, I'll lose the weight. It didn't work out as well as I thought. I think that these kinds of information should be common for everyone to know. And so I did the best that I can to put it in a story. Not the best medium, but it'll do for now. Well, it's been an adventure to combine what I enjoyed with fiction.**

 **Constructive criticisms are appreciated**

 **Thank you for your time reading this  
**

 **Bravo Tango out**


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